Esther (aka Lester - He often drops the "L" in his name), is battling cancer. A troubling number of Moluccan Cockatoos in captivity develop cancer. No one knows why. Could it be from nutritional issues? These birds are only one or two generations removed from the wild. They originate from one specific island in Indonesia where they eat things that only grow there. Do they have finely-tuned digestive tracts which are missing some critical item - despite our best attempts to provide a variety of wholesome foods? Or, are they being exposed to environmental toxins in this part of the world to which they have no immunity? As I said - the cause is not known.

Anyway, Esther is a remarkable survivor and has been fighting cancer for over 8 years! He'll never fly again, having lost too many feathers to the disease and subsequent treatment. And of course, he'll never be able to live as a free-ranging bird. Captive parrots cannot be released to the wild for many reasons. But he's twenty years old now and is consistently happy. He's one of our best "ambassadors" because he is always interested in new people and ready to greet them with "Hellos" and cuddles.

As you can tell in this short video, he's got tons of "spirit and Joie de Vivre!" He is full of life! And he's a constant encourager to all of us when we face tough times. We've had many cancer survivors visit us at the refuge and they form an immediate bond with our pal Esther.

Please click on the thumbnails below to learn how you can help some special birds have a home for life through our "Virtual Adoption" program! More stories coming soon!

Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

"This is, in a word, a great place and these miraculous creatures deserve no less, but few places can deliver it this well. It is, indeed, 'world class'."

– Stewart Metz (author and Director of the Indonesian Parrot Project), after his visit at the Grand Opening of the Refuge on August 13, 2005.

"The World Parrot Refuge is a true sanctuary where parrots live out their lives in a loving, spacious and happy environment under the guidance of extraordinarily caring people. The many visitors destined to pass through the refuge will come to understand that parrots are not toys or trophies, but beings with needs and emotions as real as our own."

– Rosemary Low (author of more than 30 books on parrots)